Portable elevator



E. N. HESCOCK AND E. F. SMITH.

PORTABLE ELEVATOR.

APPLICATION man MAR. 11. I921.

Patented Feb. 14,1922.

I: ll: I

UNITEB 3TH? F PATENT OFFICE.

ETEAN N. HESCOCK, OF WESTEEELD, AND ERNEST I SMITH, OF ELIZABETH, NEW

JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TU NEW FOUNDRY 8c MACHINE COMPANY, A CORPO- RATION OFNEW JERSEY.

PORTABLE ELEVATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 14, 1922.

Original application filed. February 16, 1920, Serial No. 358,870.Divided and this application filed March 17, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, Fi'ri-riirr N. iinseocn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at lVestfield, in the county of Union and State of NewJersey, and ERNnsr F. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing atElizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Portable Elevators, of which thefollowing is a specification, taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings.

This application is a division of our 00- pending application Ser. No.358,870, filed Feb. 16, 1920.

Our invention relates to portable elevators and more particularly tomeans to positively insure that the elevator, when in use, shall bestabilized.

()ur invention relates also to locking the hoist mechanism. Ourinvention further relates to automatically operating the lockingmechanism and stabilizing means by tilting a portion of the elevator.

Our invention further relates to using a portion of the traction meansto bring into play either or both the locking and stabiliz ingmechanism.

Our invention further relates to a cam yoke in combination with a casterwheel and caster wheel fork provided with a swivel pin, and lockingmechanism directly cooperating with the swivel pin.

Our invention further relates to certain combinations, sub-combinationsand details of construction which will be more fully hereinafterdescribed and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the same reference numerals refer tosimilar parts in the different figures.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of our improved portable elevator withcertain parts omitted, shown with the hoist mechanism locked;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, similar to Fig. 1, showing the stabilizingmeans brought into operative position and the hoist mechanism unlocked.

Fig. 3 is a detail rear elevation on theline Serial No. 453,003.

33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 41 is a vertical. detail section 011 the line 1-4 of Figs. 1 and 5,looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of another modified form of our invention;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary side elevation of still another form of ourinvention;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the catch for holding the handle.

It is well known that one of the chief obections to portable elevatorsis that they are not stable or rigid when in operation. These portableelevators must be easily movable from place to place in the warehouse,factory, dock or other place where they are used. By our invention,without lessening the mobility of the movable elevator, or increasingits weight, we positively insure that it will be stable when the hoistmechanism is operated to lift the load. It is, of course, understoodthat a comparatively small movement or oscillation at the base orcarriage will be greatly multiplied as the platform. is raised. Such awobbling or oscillation, when the platform is in its raised position isextremely dangerous as the load is apt to tip or fall oil? the platformwith serious injury to the workmen, and possible danger or injury to theload, depending upon the character of the goods being stacked or raisedat that time.

By our invention we absolutely eliminate all such oscillation orwobbling of the platform or of the elevator while the hoisting mechanismis being operated.

Our elevator comprises the usual carriage 1, having the usual tractionwheels, not shown, but illustrated in our companion case, and a casterwheel 3. This caster wheel permits ready handling and manipulation ofthe movable elevator in restricted passages or other locations in whichit is used. We also employ a vertical upright 4, the usual winding drum,and movable platform (not shown), crank 5 and gear wheels 6, 7, 8, 9.The winding drum (not shown) is preferably mounted upon the shaft 10 ofthe gear wheel 9. The gears, movable platform, and winding drum may beof any approved construction.

To prevent the oscillation or wobbling of the elevator with theconsequent danger to the workmen and the load we provide the elevatorwith any suitable stabilizing means. Yarious forms of stabilizing meansmay be employed. o have shown the carriage 1 provided with feet or legs11, 11 one at each :l orward end of the carriage 1. By our invention weinsure that the tilting of a portion of the elevator will automaticallyoperate the stabilizing means to bring them into their operative orinoperative position as the case may be.

We tilt the carriage 1 by aid of the trac tion means. Preferably we forma rigid bracket 12 on the vertical. upright. 4 and through this bracketpasses a swivel pin 13 of the caster wheel form 14L which fork ismounted upon the axle 15. The cam yoke 16 is also mounted upon the axle15 and straddles the caster wheel fork lot. In this cam yoke 16, theradius from the axle 15 to the point 17 is greater than the radius fromthe axle 15 to the point 18.

\Vheu the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 1, the cam yoke haslifted the bracket 12, and with it the front end of the carriage,thereby tilting the elevator and freeing the stabilizing feet 11, 11from contactwith the floor 19. In this position of the parts theelevator can be moved around the floor by pulling upon the handle 20.

Having reached the new position on the floor of the dock, warehouse orwherever it is desired to use the elevator, the handle 20 is swung up.toengage with the catch 21 mounted on the upright 1. This will cause thewedge or cam surface 22 on the cam yoke to be forced under the fixedbracket 12, forcing the bracket 12 to assume the position shown in Fig.2. As the bracket 12 moves down the cam surface 22 the elevator istilted so that the stabilizing feet 11, 11 (only one being shown) arebrought into contact with the tloor 19. This insures that the elevatorwill be supported in a manner that will prevent tilting or oscillationand therefore make the elevator stable, so that a load may be raised andlowered upon the movable platform (not shown) without danger to theworkmen or damage to the goods that may be lifted.

To make the elevator fool proof so that it cannot be operated to raiseor lower the movable platform without first stabilizing the elevator weuse some form of locking mechanism, cooperating with the hoistmechanism. This locking mechanism normally locks the hoist mechanism andinsures that it cannot be operated until the elevator has beenstabilized.

In this form of our invention, we operate the locking mechanism by meansof the swivel pin 13. Various forms of locking mechanism may be used. Wehave shown different'moditications but it is to be distinctly understoodthat our invention is not to be confined to the particular forms shownin our application by way of example.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, we mount a pawl 23 on the housing 24: by means ofthe pin 25, one end 26 of the pawl being brought over the swivel pin 13,the other end 27 being bent and provided with a tooth to engage with theteeth of the gear wheel 9. A spring 28 normally holds the end 27 of thepawl in contact with the gear wheel 11, thereby normally locking thehoist mechanism, Fig. l.

l l hen the movable elevator has been brought into position where it isdesired to operate the hoist mechanism, this mechanism cannot beoperated until the end 27 of the pawl 23 has been disengaged from thegear wheel 9. To do this, however, it is necessary to bring the handle20 from the position shown in F 1, to that shown in Fig. 2; but in doingthis'the stabilizing means 11, 11 have to be first brought into contactwith the floor 19,. thereby stabilizing the elevator, and preventing itwobbling or moving as the movable platform is raised or lowered. Thepawl 23 being pivoted to the frame of the elevator moves with it as theframe is tilted. The end 26 of this pawl 23 contacting with the swivelpin 13 will cause the pawl as the frame rocks, to pivot upon the pivotand compress the spring 28, thereby releasing the other end 27 of thepawl from the gear wheel 9, Fig. 2. The handle 20 is preferabhl securedin the vertical position shown in Fig. 2 by any suitable means, as forexample the catch 21.

To move the elevator into a new location the handle is brought back intothe position shown in Fig. 1, which will again cause the hoist mechanismto be locked.

lVe have shown a little different arrangement of our invention in Fig. 5in which the swivel pin 13 cooperates with an arm 29 on the rod 30,carried in bearings 31, 31 on the frame 1. The upper end of this rodcontacts with one end 32 of the pivoted pawl 40, the other end 33 of thepivoted pawl engaging with the teeth on the gear wheel 7. The spring 34serves to normally press the end 33 of the pawl into contact with thegear wheel 7. y

We have also shown another modification of our invention in Fig. 6wherein the swivel mechanism until the elevator has been stal ilizerl bybringing the feet ll, 11 in contact with the floor 19 of the warehouse,Ipier or other locality where the elevator is used.

Having thus described this invention in connection with illustrativeembodiments thereof, to the details of which we do not desire to belimited, what is claimed as new and what is desired to secure by LettersPatent is set forth in the appended claims.

What we claim is 1. In a portable elevator the combination of hoistingmechanism, a locking mechanism "for said hoisting mechanism, a swivelpin for a caster wheel, a caster wheel, means to tilt said elevator,said swivel pin cooperating with said locking mechanism.

2. In a portable elevator the combination of hoisting mechanism, alocking mechanism for said hoisting mechanism, stabilizing means, aswivel pin for a caster wheel, a caster wheel, means to tilt saidelevator, said swivel pin cooperating with said locking mechanism.

3. In a portable elevator the combination f hoisting mechanism, a lockfor said hoisting mechanism, traction means, including a swivel pin,said pin cooperating with the locking mechanism.

4. In a portable elevator the combination of stabilizing means, hoistingmechanism, a lock for said hoisting mechanism, traction means includinga swivel pin, said pin cooperating with the locking mechanism.

5. In a portable elevator the combination of hoisting mechanism, a lockfor said hoisting mechanism, traction means including a swivel pin, saidpin cooperating with the locking mechanism and means to raise and lowerthe elevator.

6. In a portable elevator the combination of hoisting mechanism,traction means ineluding a swivel pin, and a locking mechanism incontact with said pin and adapted. to be operated by it.

7. In a portable elevator the combination of hoist mechanism, a casterwheel, a caster wheel fork provided with a swivel pin, a pawl to lockthe hoist mechanism, said pawl cooperating with said swivel pin, andmeans to tilt a portion of the elevator to operate the pawl.

8. In a portable elevator the combination of hoist mechanism,stabilizing means, a caster wheel, a caster wheel fork provided with aswivel pin, a pawl to lock the hoist mechanism, said pawl cooperatingwith said swivel pin, and means to tilt a portion of the elevator tooperate the pawl and the stabilizing means.

9. In a portable elevator the combination of a. hoisting mechanism, alocking mechanism for said hoisting mechanism, a swivel pin for a casterwheel, a caster wheel, a caster wheel yoke having a cam or inclinedsurface, a member on the elevator to cooperate with said cam or inclinedsurface, said swivel pin cooperating with said locking mechanism.

10. In a portable elevator, the combination of hoisting mechanism,traction means including a caster wheel, an inclined or cam memberoperating in a vertical plane and operated by the traction means, andstabilizing means controlled by the vertical movement of the inclined orcam member, locking mechanism to lock the hoist mechanism, said lockingmechanism being controlled by the traction means.

ETHAN N. HESCOGK. ERNEST F. SMITH. Witnesses:

RUEBEN IRWIN, JAMES M. VVnLsoH.

